José Otero Dr. Michael T. Williamson ENGL 864 11 June 2014 Performance in “The Switzer’s Wife” I’m not exactly sure how to enter into a discussion of “performance” when reading a poem, but it is probably wise to begin with trying to identify the framework with which I enter a work. On the aesthetics versus purpose continuum, I would have to say that I lean much more heavily toward the purpose aspect. In other words, in reading any poem, I am looking for it to achieve or comment upon some sort of sociopolitical issue. That is not to say that I ignore craft or find aesthetics to be secondary, but it is hard for me to appreciate a beautifully crafted work that doesn’t have any teeth. It has to do something more for me than simply be beautiful I know nothing about Felicia Hemans, but seeing that she is a woman immediately places me into a reading mode where I am looking for issues regarding patriarchy and gender. This certainly places a limitation on the performance of the poem because I may miss more interesting and important themes. Beginning with the image of her on the cover, and the fact that I’m reading it in a 19th century literature course, I also assume that I am reading a poem by a woman of some social class standing. Going in, I am not expecting to encounter poetry from the perspective of a farmer, and she certainly doesn’t look like one on the cover. Before arriving at this poem, I’ve read about a woman who dies after being tragically separated from the man she loves and about a young woman who is to be married and is sad about separating from her family. Both poems thus far have been about separation, but in opposite ways. In the first, the man and women are forced to separate, but in the second, it is the act of marriage that causes a separation from family (and youth, for that matter). As the readers turn the page, they are first met with a picture that illustrates the setting of the poem. Two areas of note are the remoteness of the location and the man and woman standing on the path. The man looks to be going on a journey; he is wearing a pack and has a walking stick. The title of the poem, “The Switzer’s Wife,” the image, and the previous poems suggest that this will be another poem about separation. But before we can begin the main part of the poem, we encounter some introductory material explaining how the title character motivated her husband to confer with his friends about how they might defend their wealth and property against an Austrian Bailiff. This note does a few things for me as a reader. First, it suggests that the poem I am about to read is based upon true events. This is significant, particularly for a new reader of poetry. It informs him or her that poetry serves more than just an aesthetic function. It can be real and take/promote a political stance. Also of significance is the key role of the wife. It seems that these types of women have often been erased from history. There is a dominant perspective that suggests that great men do great things while their wives sit at home. But this summary suggests that nothing would have been accomplished without the wife’s intervention. Furthermore, it suggests to the reader that perhaps that is exactly what should happen. The male reader should seek his wife’s advice about what actions he should take. And the female reader should guide her husband. Of course, it doesn’t suggest that the wife should actually take physical action, which would be nice, but it is much better than the erasure that we are accustomed to. Next, we get a couple of epigraphs. The first sets up the gender issue at hand. Although women may not say much because of social norms, they actually have powerful and important things to say. The second, in Swiss, suggests that men can accomplish great things with strong women by their sides. Interestingly, the first quotation is from a woman and the second from a man. Is the first meant to speak to English women and the second to Swiss men? In any case, the fact that the second comes from a male, gives men the okay to accept the idea that women have power. It is limited to helping men take actions, but it still sets up the idea women are contributors to action and change. The act of reading the poem aloud certainly gives it more significance. The husband is dejected and giving in to the idea that his land may be taken from him. It is only because of an impassioned speech from his wife that he regains his own passion. One can almost see women quoting the wife’s speech to their own husbands when they see them unable to act. So the poem functions in a few ways, but most noticeably for me as a call to fight oppression. It motivates people to speak and to act. And if we are looking at it pedagogically, it teaches women how to take action in their own households. They may not be able to leave the home to fight a rebellion, but they can make the rebellion happen.
Dr. Michael T. Williamson
ENGL 864
11 June 2014
Performance in “The Switzer’s Wife”
I’m not exactly sure how to enter into a discussion of “performance” when reading a poem, but it is probably wise to begin with trying to identify the framework with which I enter a work. On the aesthetics versus purpose continuum, I would have to say that I lean much more heavily toward the purpose aspect. In other words, in reading any poem, I am looking for it to achieve or comment upon some sort of sociopolitical issue. That is not to say that I ignore craft or find aesthetics to be secondary, but it is hard for me to appreciate a beautifully crafted work that doesn’t have any teeth. It has to do something more for me than simply be beautiful
I know nothing about Felicia Hemans, but seeing that she is a woman immediately places me into a reading mode where I am looking for issues regarding patriarchy and gender. This certainly places a limitation on the performance of the poem because I may miss more interesting and important themes. Beginning with the image of her on the cover, and the fact that I’m reading it in a 19th century literature course, I also assume that I am reading a poem by a woman of some social class standing. Going in, I am not expecting to encounter poetry from the perspective of a farmer, and she certainly doesn’t look like one on the cover.
Before arriving at this poem, I’ve read about a woman who dies after being tragically separated from the man she loves and about a young woman who is to be married and is sad about separating from her family. Both poems thus far have been about separation, but in opposite ways. In the first, the man and women are forced to separate, but in the second, it is the act of marriage that causes a separation from family (and youth, for that matter). As the readers turn the page, they are first met with a picture that illustrates the setting of the poem. Two areas of note are the remoteness of the location and the man and woman standing on the path. The man looks to be going on a journey; he is wearing a pack and has a walking stick. The title of the poem, “The Switzer’s Wife,” the image, and the previous poems suggest that this will be another poem about separation.
But before we can begin the main part of the poem, we encounter some introductory material explaining how the title character motivated her husband to confer with his friends about how they might defend their wealth and property against an Austrian Bailiff. This note does a few things for me as a reader. First, it suggests that the poem I am about to read is based upon true events. This is significant, particularly for a new reader of poetry. It informs him or her that poetry serves more than just an aesthetic function. It can be real and take/promote a political stance. Also of significance is the key role of the wife. It seems that these types of women have often been erased from history. There is a dominant perspective that suggests that great men do great things while their wives sit at home. But this summary suggests that nothing would have been accomplished without the wife’s intervention. Furthermore, it suggests to the reader that perhaps that is exactly what should happen. The male reader should seek his wife’s advice about what actions he should take. And the female reader should guide her husband. Of course, it doesn’t suggest that the wife should actually take physical action, which would be nice, but it is much better than the erasure that we are accustomed to.
Next, we get a couple of epigraphs. The first sets up the gender issue at hand. Although women may not say much because of social norms, they actually have powerful and important things to say. The second, in Swiss, suggests that men can accomplish great things with strong women by their sides. Interestingly, the first quotation is from a woman and the second from a man. Is the first meant to speak to English women and the second to Swiss men? In any case, the fact that the second comes from a male, gives men the okay to accept the idea that women have power. It is limited to helping men take actions, but it still sets up the idea women are contributors to action and change.
The act of reading the poem aloud certainly gives it more significance. The husband is dejected and giving in to the idea that his land may be taken from him. It is only because of an impassioned speech from his wife that he regains his own passion. One can almost see women quoting the wife’s speech to their own husbands when they see them unable to act. So the poem functions in a few ways, but most noticeably for me as a call to fight oppression. It motivates people to speak and to act. And if we are looking at it pedagogically, it teaches women how to take action in their own households. They may not be able to leave the home to fight a rebellion, but they can make the rebellion happen.